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Football Stadium DigestFootball Stadium Digest covers major stories and events in the planning, construction and operations of NCAA and professional NFL football stadiums across the United States and Canada.

Best of 2016: #3, Hard Rock Stadium Overhaul

We end 2016 with a countdown of the 10 biggest stories of the year on Football Stadium Digest, as chosen by editors and partially based on page views. Today, #3: The continuing overhaul of Hard Rock Stadium.

The work to Hard Rock Stadium is not completely finished. Before the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes begin play next season, the stadium will receive another round of upgrades, marking the conclusion of its three-phase overhaul.

While that leaves fans in South Florida with something to look forward to, perhaps the most dramatic changes to Hard Rock Stadium took place in 2016. Following the first phase of the renovation, which took place before the 2015 season, work began on the second phase.

Another major component of the renovation was the installation of new videoboards. Hard Rock Stadium now features one screen in each of its four corners, with the area under the boards used for patio space.

As this project took shape, the stadium took on a new identity, as Hard Rock International signed on as a naming right partner over the summer. The facility, which opened for the Dolphins in 1987, has had a variety of names over the years, including Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium. Its most recent name before this round of renovations was Sun Life Stadium.